Each airline has different policies on how much baggage and the weight of bags that they will accept from each traveler. You should check individual airline websites to get the exact information on baggage allowances.

For domestic flights, most carriers now charge a fee for checked bags.

For International flights, most carriers will allow one free checked bag of 50 pounds or less.

For the most up to date information on checked bag fees and sizes, please check the airlines web site.

Length, height and width (girth) of the checked bags can not exceed 62 inches. You are allowed one carry on bag or back pack that must be able to fit into the overhead bin or under the seat. Carry on can not exceed 9x14x22 girth. You will also be able to have either a purse or lap top.

It is best to always lock checked bags with an TSA (airline) approved lock for domestic or international travel. These can be purchased at most retail stores selling luggage.

Mark checked bags with something that is easy to identify the bag with, something bright colored works well.

Always make sure you know which terminal you need to check into. If you have a question on this, please contact Bear Tracks Travel or check the airlines web site.

There are many ways to check in for flights.

1. Check in on line at the airlines web site up to 24 hours prior. You will need your airline confirmation code for this. Generally, you can secure or change seat assignments at this time. You will print your boarding pass or do an electronic boarding pass to your smart phone and present upon arriving at the airport. If you have bags to check and you have checked in on line you can check these with Sky Caps curbside at the airport (very easy to do) or bring them into the airline and look for the signs to check or drop your bags. Remember, if you are checking with a Sky Cap, it is customary to tip them $2-$3 per bag.

Please note that for seasonal charter package flights, checking in on line is not always allowed and you may have to check in at the airport. If you have a question on this, please contact Bear Tracks Travel.

2. Check in at the airport.You can check in with the Sky Caps curbside or go into the kiosks or counter of your airline to check in.

Allow plenty of time for security at airports. For holidays and Mondays and Fridays, allow extra time. These are the busiest times to travel.

Remember the 3-1-1 Rule: 3oz of liquid, in a 1 quart bag, 1 bag per person.

You will have to show your boarding pass and your government issued photo ID to pass thru security. Names on both must match.

For a list of security procedures at US airports see www.tsa.gov (Below is some information from The Security Administration).

A MUST read for anyone traveling by air…

Following these tips will help you reduce your wait time at the security checkpoint.

Before the Airport
– Do not pack or bring Prohibited Items to the airport. Read the Permitted and Prohibited Items list.
– Place valuables such as jewelry, cash and laptop computers in carry-on baggage only. Tape your business card to the bottom of your laptop.
– Avoid wearing clothing, jewelry and accessories that contain metal. Metal items may set off the alarm on the metal detector.
– Avoid wearing shoes that contain metal or have thick soles or heels. Many types of footwear will require additional screening even if the metal detector does not alarm.
– Declare firearms & ammunition to your airline and place them in your checked baggage.
– If you wish to lock your baggage, use a TSA-recognized lock.
– Do not bring lighters or prohibited matches to the airport.
– Do not pack wrapped gifts and do not bring wrapped gifts to the checkpoint. Wrap on arrival or ship your gifts prior to your departure. TSA may have to unwrap packages for security reasons.

At the Airport
Each adult traveler needs to keep available his/her airline boarding pass and government-issued photo ID until exiting the security checkpoint. Due to different airport configurations, at many airports you will be required to display these documents more than once.

– Place the following items IN your carry-on baggage or in a plastic bag prior to entering the screening checkpoint:

Many airlines within the US no longer offer meals or food on domestic flights. Some airlines have meals for purchase on board. Please have smaller bills to purchase meals, since flight attendants do not carry much change. Plan ahead…..Bring food with you or plan to purchase on board. Sometimes flights to Hawaii do not even offer free meals. Plan ahead…

Most airlines offer frequent flier programs where you can earn points for the miles you fly. These points can accumulate over time to earn you free travel. You can go to the airline web site to sign up. It’s free. Many airlines have other ways to earn points such as using their credit cards, using preferred partners such as car rental companies and hotels. Many airlines now are in alliances with each other so you can fly on one carrier and earn miles on another.

Please get your frequent Flier numbers to Bear Tracks Travel at least 24 hours prior to flights or give the numbers upon check in on line or the airport.

Documentation

Implemented on January 23, 2007, ALL PERSONS traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean region are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States .All other areas of the world also require a passport. You must have six months validity from day of return left on your passport to travel to most countries. For additional information please see http://www.travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.html

Important:
Correct travel documents are the traveler’s responsibility. Bear Tracks Travel assumes no liability for costs incurred or denied boarding as a result of failure to comply with customs and/or immigration requirements. Passengers who are denied boarding for lack of proper travel documentation will forfeit all money paid for unused air seats and any other nonrecoverable costs.
*Passports are by the easiest way to travel the world. For those over 15 years old, the passports will be good for 10 years, for those 15 and under, they will be good for 5 years.

*If you will needing a visa for a country(ies), check with Bear Tracks Travel to see how many pages you will need to have left in your passport for the visa. Some countries require that you have 2-3 complete pages left in your passport. Also, see section on visas below for additional information.

*Most local City Halls or License bureaus will process passports. Most will do the special passport photos as well. Call ahead and see if your locality does passports. You will need your birth certificate with the state seal on it to apply. (See section on how to obtain a birth certificate).

*It will generally take 6 weeks to secure a passport. You can put a rush on the process for an additional fee. Plan ahead.

*For all the information you will need about passports please click the link to www.travel.state.gov This is an excellent site to get the most updated information on passports. You can even print the applications and do by mail if you wish.

*Make sure to leave a copy of the front page of your passport at home and bring an extra copy with you and keep it separate from your original. If your passport gets lost or stolen while you are away contact the nearest consulate or Embassy.

Traveling to many countries outside of the United States requires that you have a visa to do so. Some visas can be secured thru the countries Consulate General, other visas have to be secured using a visa service. Some countries will require you to have 2-3 pages left in your passport for the visa.

Most countries require 1-3 passport type photos for the visa. Bear Tracks Travel is up to date on all visas for all countries and will help you secure these. Leave plenty of time to do so.

Children under 18 years of age traveling without both parents/legal guardians, must carry a notarized letter of authorization to travel any where out of the country from each parent/guardian. A notarized birth certificate showing only one parent, a parent’s death certificate, or a court order of child custody may also be permissible.

If a child does not have this, they will be denied boarding. Plan ahead…

On the letter please have:
Childs name
Where they will travel to
When they will travel
Permission to leave the country
This must be signed and notarized as stated above.

Sample letter

March 16, 2017

To whom it may concern,

John Smith age 16, will be traveling with the O’Brien family to Cancun Mexico March 19-26, 2017.

I give him permission to travel at this time and to leave the country.

Sincerely,Mary Smith

If you have any questions regarding this, please contact us at Bear Tracks travel 651-429-5244 or info@www.beartrackstravel.com

Travelers Health, Alerts, & Security

Go to www.cdc.gov and look under travelers health for a complete list of shots, etc you will need for the country you are going to.
Please note that some shots have to be done in a series with a wait time in between.

In most cities in the US, there are Travelers Health Clinics. Contact your insurance company to see if these clincs are covered for you. The Clinics will give you all the updated info for health and meds needed for the areas you will be going to.PLAN AHEAD…

Drinking water and food
It is a good idea when traveling to foreign countries to use precaution when drinking the local water. In third world countries(Mexico, all thru the Caribbean, central and South America, etc) only drink bottled water. Although many vacation resorts in these areas now have water purification systems, it is a good idea to use caution when drinking water and eating food that has been washed in water , such as lettuce. Do not eat the peel of fruits such as apples, pears or baked potatoes, etc. These are washed in the local water.

It is a good idea to avoid ice cubes in areas that do not have water purification. Also brush your teeth with bottled water in these areas.

Always travel with Imodium AD. This helps relieve the symptoms of traveler’s diarrhea, if it should occur.

It is important to have Travel insurance when traveling. This insurance will cover you for medical and medical evacuation if you are hurt or ill. You will have a24 hour number to call in case of a medical situation. See section on travel insurance on this web site or contact us at 651-429-5244 or info@www.beartrackstravel.com

Be sure to check which countries that the US government has put warning and alerts out about. Go to www.travel.state.gov and look under International travel, for all the latest in alerts and warnings. There is a wealth of information on this web site about travel abroad. Check it out.

Be smart when traveling. Don’t assume everyone in the world is nice, they are not. Be alert at all times. Don’t let a trip be ruined by having someone violate you or your belongings. Plan ahead…

*Keep all documents-passport, birth certificates, travelers checks, etc on your body at all times or locked in a safe. Best to have a passport belt or a holder that goes on over your head and that you where under your clothes. Even when sleeping at night, follow the same advise.

*Do not leave any valuables out in a hotel room, you will tempting maids and maintenance persons that may enter your room. Lock up everything or bring it with you.

*When traveling, leave the good jewelry home. Wearing expensive jewelry while on a trip will only bring attention to you from thieves. You will be marking yourself.

*Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. Always carry an id on you.
*Do not go into the backs of markets, etc by yourself.

*Carry a purse that goes over your head and not just your shoulder. Fanny packs can be cut off in an instant- use caution.

*Leave a copy of your passport at home and in a separate place from your original.

*Never leave a drink unattended in a bar. Keep it with you.

*Be smart and alert.

Miscellaneous

Insurance is HIGHLY recommended. It will cover you if you have to cancel due to an illness or a death in the family before you go or while on your trip. It will also cover you for medical, medical evacuation, baggage and trip delay. It is reasonably priced and the cost is based on trip cost and age.

Please ask Bear Tracks Travel about this. You do not want to get stuck without it.

There are a number of ways to handle money when traveling abroad or domestically. These are ways to have money available when traveling.

*By using credit cards for purchases internationally, you will usually get the best rate of exchange over paying in local currency. Some credit card companies charge a foreign transaction fee when using cards overseas. Please check with your card company before travel to see if there is a charge for this and what the charge is.

Make sure to notify your card companies a couple of days prior to travel that you will be out of the country with your card. They will need to know dates of travel and countries travelling to.

Make sure your credit cards are in the scan proof sleeves. This will prohibit scanners from getting all your card information. Bear Tracks Travel can provide these for you or purchase at most retail stores- Target, Walmart, etc.

Visa is by far the most accepted card around the world.

*ATM’s. This is a great way to be able to get money out of your bank account and receive it in the local currency of the country you are in. No need to stop at banks. Make sure that you are aware of what your daily withdrawal limit is before leaving home and make any changes you need to before you go. Also, on ATM cards there is a name of the group of ATMs that you are apart of, you will only be able to use the ATMs that are on that system. Such as Cirrus. If you do not know which group your card is apart of, ask your bank and then look for the ATMs in the country you are in with that name.

There will be a fee for using your atm card. Sometimes at the atm machine and then from your bank as well. These fees can be quite high.

*US Cash. It is a good idea to have some US cash with you when traveling. Limited amounts are good to have on hand. Usually smaller bills are good. Many foreigners like nice crisp new money. You can ask for that at the bank. Also, some countries love to get US dollars instead of their own currency when making purchases-the dollar is stronger than their currencies in some cases. Tips in US dollars are great when traveling to Mexico or the Caribbean. Remember, carry smaller bills.

*Foreign Currency

Please put in this new info

It is a good idea to secure some money in the local currency of the countries you are travelling to before you go. This will save you time and sometimes a huge effort trying to secure currency when you arrive into a foreign country.

You can go the Travel Ex booths at most large airports to secure foreign currency before travel. They have the cash itself or you can load up a visa debit card in the local currency. This is so nice. If you lose this card of it is stolen, they can replace it very quickly for you. You will be able to change unused money back into USD upon arrival back into the US. There will be some small fees associated with your currency purchase. The more you take out, the less the fee.

Bear Tracks Travel can give you more information on this great service.

Mexico travel

IF travelling to Mexico, please be aware that there is a law where there is a $100 maximum in on transaction when purchasing with US Dollars. You must have either pesos or credit cards for purchases over $100.

When calling from outside the US to the US you must dial 001, the area code and then the number.

When calling from the US to a foreign country you must dial 011, the country code and then the number.

Many cell phones can be used outside of the US. Please check with your provider to see what you need to do to to your phone to make sure you do not get charged huge roaming or calling fees.

Texting plans work well. Check with your provider about this.

With smart phones, you will be able to send and receive emails for free when hooked up to WI Fi in a foreign country. Make sure you know to have data roaming off, etc. to avoid big charges. Check with your provider about this.

*For your carry on, use a rolling backpack. These are the best, they will keep your arms and shoulders free. That is all we at BTT use.

*Make sure to pack a swim suit (if traveling to a warm destination) in case your bags are delayed. Pack shorts that you can change into just before landing.

*Make sure to carry on all medications that you will need. Make sure prescription medicines are in there original containers.

*Don’t forget snacks and bottled water. Not much food is provided on the airlines anymore.

*Mark all bags in and out.

Here is a link to a great web site that provides a comprehensive packing list for you. Check it out. Have fun and pack light. Check out baggage weight requirements for the airline you are traveling on.